Dusting mop for use over floor brush



L A. CARLSON, sR 2,858,559

- DUSTING MOP FOR USE OVER FLOOR BRUSH Nov. 4, 1958 Filed March 16, 1953INVENToR.

`Lawrence A. ar/Son/ 5?',

ATTO/PA/fy 2,858,559 DUSTING MOP FOR USE OVER FLOUR BRUSH Lawrence A.'Carlson, Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.

Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,603 3 Claims. (Cl. 15247) Myinvention relates generally to improvements in cleaning and dustingtools and more particularly to improvements in that type of cleaning anddusting tools comprising a oor brush, or equivalent basic tool, and anassociated soft flexible dusting cloth.

In the sweeping of uncarpeted floors of marble, terrazzo, linoleum, woodand the like, the raising of dust in places such as large offices,laboratories and the like, presents a problem. In such places, theconventional dust mop is not adequate to remove the dust thoroughly,even with frequent shaking out of the mop, and a bristle brush or broomdoes not satisfactorily remove all of the fine dust. Even when used withextreme care, a bristle brush tends to raise dust into the air fromwhence it settles on equipment in the room, thereby adding to the laborsof the janitor or cleaning person. For the purpose of eliciently dustinglarge floor areas and the like, it has been found that a chemicallytreated dust cloth detachably Asecured to the head of a floor brushoperates to remove dust without raising dust particles in the air,provided that the dust cloth is maintained in an operative positionbetween the bristles of the brush and the surface to be cleaned andproviding that there be additional dusting cloth material to lay inloose wiping contact with the surface to be cleaned both in front of andin back of the brush head. An important object of my invention istherefore the provision of an improved tool comprising a soft flexibledust collecting element which when mounted o-n the head of a oor brushor equivalent basic tool will be interposed automatically between thebristles or other yieldable facing thereof of the brush and the surfaceto be wiped thereby and which will provide an excess of soft, flexiblewiping material both ahead of and behind the tool head and to allowshifting of the soft flexible material to dispose different portionsthereof between the tool head and the floor or other surface beingwiped.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a dust cloth whichmay be quickly and easily mounted on and removed from a brush forcleaning or the like, and which when mounted on the brush head is notsubject to United States Patent C) accidental removal or displacementfrom operative position.

-Another object of my invention is the provision of a dust cloth o-f thetype set forth which is easily reversible to permit use of both sidesthereof for dust collecting purposes.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of an improvedtool of the character set forth which is simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and install, which is efficient in operation, and which isextremely durable in use.

The above and still further objects and advantages of my invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed specification, appendedclaims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the inven- Nice tion, and inwhich like reference characters indicate like parts throughout theseveral views:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective, with some parts broken away and someparts shown in section, showing one form of floor brush having my noveldusting cloth mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating a preferredmethod of applying my novel dusting cloth t-o the floor brush of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially onthe line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but showing my novel dust clothapplied to a different form of floor brush.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated, my novel cleaningand dusting tool comprises a permanently formed, circumferentiallyendless, reversible tube 1 of constant diameter made from suitable clothfabric material and open at its opposite ends 2 and 3 for insertion ofan elongated basic tool head which preferably takes the form of abristle-equipped brush head 4. The brush head comprises an elongatedrigid backing 4a and brush bristles 8. The brush bristles 8 define ayieldable facing providing a relatively deectable bottom working surfacefor the tool head 4 that extends an appreciable distance on oppositesides of the handle 6. At its longitudinal central portion, the tube 1is provided with an opening 5 intermediate its ends for freely receivinga brush handle 6 which preferably and as shown is connected to thelongitudinal center of the brush head 4 by a conventional universaljoint 7. The joint 7 permits the brush handle 6 to be swingablydisplaced from a normal operative position at substantially right anglesto the head 4 to an extreme assembly position generally parallel to thehead 4, as shown in Fig. 2. Also preferably and as shown, the tube 1,which is of substantially constant diameter from end to end, is ofgreater length than the brush head 4 and has a diameter which issubstantially larger than the maximum width of the brush head 4 so that,when the tube 1 is mounted on the brush head, it will encompass theentire brush head and at all times be situated between the bristles 8 ofthe brush and the underlying wall or oor surface to be dusted. Saidsurface is indicated by the letter X in Fig. 3. v

When my novel dusting cloth is to be applied to the brush of Figs. 1 to3 inclusive, the brush handle 6 is moved from its normal operativeposition of Figs. l and 3 into its assembly position wherein it isgenerally parallel to the head 4; such handle displacement being madenecessary because of the fact that the maximum pose sible diameter ofthe tubular cloth is greatly less than the length of the handle 6. Thefree end of the handle 6 is then inserted through one of the open ends 2or 3 of the tube 1 and outwardly through the central opening 5 therein.The cloth tube is then moved along the handle 6 towards its connectionto the brush head 4 and the adjacent end of the brush head 4 is insertedinto the tube. When the central aperture 5 reaches the joint 7, the tube1 will be centered on the brush head with the opposite ends 2 and 3thereof overlapping the opposite ends of the head 4. Then when thehandle 6 is moved to its operative position of Fig. 1, there is little,if any, likelihood of accidental removal of the dusting cloth from thebrush head.

When it is desired to remove the tubular dusting cloth l from the brushhead 4, it is merely necessary to swing the handle 6 into its saidassembly position in generally parallel relationship with the brush head4 and slide the tube 1 toward the free end of the handle d in a mannerdirectly reverse to that used in mounting the dust cloth on the brushhead. When the outside of the tube 1 has After the similaroppositelsides offthetiibldancloth have accumulated as.muchjdustas,-they ,wi11;hold;the cloth is removed and sent toa,suitablefplace-fort cleaningand treating.withchemicalsdesignedtocausedustftogadhere to the cloth.

My novelfrtubular dust ,cloth isalso: adapted for use' with a form ofbasic tool. comprising'.aiconventionaloor brush having a detachablerigid handlergwhich is Yiscrew threaded intothe.,intermediatenportin:thereof Such a brush is shown` in cross section.infFig.4.aszsconiprising' an elongated, bristle-equipped-brush:head;9and a handleY yprojecting yupwardly and?, outwardlyrjrom" thev intermediate portion of the brush head 9' and lbeing screw threaded,thereinto as .indicated at .11.1? With this type' of basic tool, thetool handle It) is displacedffromtits nor? mal operative positionVforthe purposes' of::app1ication' and removal olv the ytubulardusting*clothybyvremoval' from the head 9. The tubular--dustingzclothaof-,Fig 4, indicated by 1', corresponds-to ,the tubular dustingcloth lof Figs. l through 3 andits handlereceiving opening is indicatedl by 5.-v wAn important 'feature 0f gthef instaiitnverition contributmggreatly-to tlez'eicieiicy thereof r'eysid'esin the fact that theinternal circumfeience'of tl'e flexible cloth tubesl land are, asshownclearly inA Figs'. 3 and 4,'respectlvely, suci'ently greater than'the transverse circuitiference of their'cooperatingalteds 4 and 9,respectively, to make available an excess of tube materilfto lay inloosely folded condition on a work surface ahead of and behind thedeliectable surface of the 'tool -head and to allow the yieldableworking'face of the 'tool head, as defined by the free ends ofthebristles of the structures shown, to be brought intoVpressure'working contact by the handle with differentcircumferentially'spaced areas of the flexible tube` without rotation ofthat'portion of the tubefoverlying' the tool head and through which thehandle'prjects'; A ,l p My nnen-upenn; Been' th'rtgnty feste-gland foundto be completely'satisfactory/.for thfae'coinplislinient oftheQbjuvslset 'fortngiand while Ihavefshownfandaeseribed a, commercial formof `my novel dusting'fcloth in conibiiiation withlioor brushes ofconventional design-itwll be understoodI that the structdeiswcat'iableof modica'# tion Without departurefromthelspiritand sc'dpe' yof theinventionasdefi in thtclaims.'

What ljclafinijsy, I. 5.4. 1. Iii@cleaning-,orgusti tool compris# .ahead having a handleconnected.theretofandprojtrlg they@ from, 'said,.head,1comprising .al4 rigidi,backingaiina a yieldable facing-zontheunderside thereof providing-the OOl -With a'rtlatively vdeilectable4workingfacmg, l.said backing 'and its yieldable-'facing extendinganappreciable distance on opposite sides of said handlerconnection withthe head, Ithe#improvementcomprising;;1n.;comb1nat1on 'with the head`and its yieldable workingifacing, a revers- 'ible cylindrical tube openatbothrendsy andcomposedvof fexible material of substantially uniformdiameter lfrom end to end'andhaving similar innernandoutler work,surfaceengaging portions, said tubefencompassmg the head and itsyieldableworking' facing andhavmg an opening intermediate the endsthereof of sucent size to freely receive said handle vand through x)gvhjiC-h the handle y.projects; saidcylindrica'l tube having atlengthanldiameter materially greater than the maximurlenath and W 1,1-

respectively of the rigid'backingandits yieldable'wo facing so as toextend therebeyond in end and side folds,

the diameter of said.tubebeing.considerablyless thanthe. length of saidhandle, whereby the end and side folded portions of said tube willspread loosely over a surface being cleaned for a substantially greaterarea than that of the yieldable Working facing of the head being broughtinto pressure contact by the handle with dilferent circumferential areasof the tube during such cleaning and dusting operations.

2. The lstructure defined in claim -lf wherein thefhandle is pivotallysecured, to' the head for movement between an operating positionsubstantially normal to the head and a tube Vassembly* position in aplanesubstantially parallel to said head so that said handle may bemoved to the tube assembly position and inserted through said openandsaid tube may be urged toward said head until the tube totally enclosesthe rigid backing and yieldable working facing and the handle may thenbe` pivoted to the operating lpositionforfuse of-'the tool.

3. In a eleaningandidusting toolcomprls'ingan' clon# gated head-'andanelongated-'handle said tool head com'-l prising airigid backing having'a yieldable facing on^h under side thereof providing Vthe tool with arelativelyy deectable vworking surface, the 4handle being connected toand projecting from the rigid backingof the head, said backing and itsyieldable facing-extending an appreciable' Y distance on opposite sidesof said handle connection' with the-head; a circumferentally bothI 4endsand ofi substantially. uniform diameter tromv end to end and' havingsimilar-infierand outer Work surface-'engaging portions; f saidviiexible 'tube encompass-f ing the head' and its yieldable workingfacing and having an op'en-ing'intertriediat'e its ends of suicient sizeto freely receivesaid` handle and' through which the handleprojects,saidtube having a lengthV andl diameter materially greater than themaximum length and width respectively of the rigid backing and yieldablefacing'of the tool head to always enclose same with the ends of the tubeextend ing beyond the ends of the head in side 'and end folds,l themaximum possible diameter of the flexible tube being greatly less thanthe length of the handle and thefhandle being displaceable from a normalworking position yto allovv'endwise applicationy of the tube to the toolhead1. the internal circumference of the 'reversible exible tubebeing-sutiicie'ntly greatei than the transverse circumfew ence''f thetool head to make available an excess of tube.' material to 'lay in'loosely'fold'ed condition on a worksurface ahead ofandv behind thedeflectable'surfaceiof t'lie tool head and to allow the yieldableworking facing of4 tite "t'oolhead 'to' beA brought-into pressureworking' Contacfby the handlev with' different 'circumferentiallyspac'edjareas of'tle' tube withoutrotation of that portion of the tubeoverlying'-thefheadandwthrough' which the h-andle projects.

Reference.s Cited'in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSendless, permanently'l formedgreversible'tube of softflexible#materialopenI at

